Graduation is just around the corner for most students, and there is a collective sigh of relief at the end of the last university year from every single student that has finally finished. The only thing that stops that sigh from ending is the worry that comes from the ‘what happens next?’.
Every single student out there wants to know what comes next for them once university is over, and they all look for a job in their field – most of which are few and far between. As a student, your biggest concern is consistency. You’ve spent years in school and you’re ready to move out into the world as a functioning and giving human being.
To be able to stand out from the competition – and the competition is high – you need to know how you can be seen among the rest. From online internships for students to build skills to making yourself known to employers in the field in which you’re interested, you need to work on putting yourself out there. Below, we’ve put together ten tips for students to nail jobs for when university is over and life begins for real.
- Embrace perseverance. When it comes to applying for a job you need a strategy. It’s not just a case of firing off your resume and hoping for the best. You need to carefully cultivate a cover letter for every job you apply for and you need to follow up with every single job, too. There are hundreds of students vying for the jobs that are available out there and you need to be seen. Persevere with this and remember that it’s not going to happen overnight.
- Remember, it’s a process. Many people forget that when they are applying for a job, there is a process of recruitment in place to consider. The company has vetting processes, interview options (and usually more than one) and they have references to request to know that they are hiring the right person. All of this may happen before you even get a job offer, and so you need to exercise patience with it.
- Develop resilience. As a student, you’ve fought deadlines and multiple assignments along with exams and studying outside of university hours. You are already pretty resilient as an individual, and that means you can exercise this same resilience when it comes to knock backs. You will get told no several times during the process of applying for jobs, but this is all normal and part of that process of success.
- Speak to an expert. If you haven’t ever spoken to a recruitment agent before, it could be the best thing that you do as a student. They will help you to write and cultivate your CV and they will be able to talk you through how to nail a job. They’re also useful if you’re applying for internships, as they can help you to write compelling cover letters and CVs to match the requirements of the internship itself. Getting your CV tailored for each job you apply for may sound tedious, but it’s something you have to do if you want to stand out.
- Grow your network. LinkedIn is Facebook for businesses, and you should be on LinkedIn as much as possible looking for jobs and networking with employers. Building a professional network is vital if you want to be noticed in your chosen field. The network you use will help you to get interviews for jobs in companies you want to spend time in, so you need to get building on that one!
- Work on your skills. You might have stopped studying for your degree or diploma, but your skill building doesn’t stop there. You should consider advancing your skills in your spare time, even soft skills will be something you can easily build. While you’re waiting to be hired, keep working on you and improving your personal and professional development options.
- Don’t be dormant. Your job search has to be an active one and jobs are updated every single day. You have to keep on top of these to be able to be sure that you are doing all that you can in your job search. Keep an eye on key job search websites, send out prospective emails and CVs to employers and make a list of where you apply to so that you can keep track.
- Volunteer. While you’re awaiting a new job, volunteer where you can and be sure to keep all of your volunteer options on your CV, too. This is what gives you a chance to gain many of the same skills through formal working experience. This also allows you to give back a little.
- Practice your interview techniques. One of the best ways that you can nail a new job is in practicing your techniques in an interview setting. Speak to friends and family and have them pose questions to you that you can learn to answer. Most employers have shifted their interview processes online, and you can benefit from learning by attending as many interviews as possible. Even the interviews that you don’t succeed in will be helpful because you’ll learn how to answer crucial questions all at the same time.
- Have some patience. This is a long process for some people and it doesn’t mean that you’re doing something wrong. You have to work on ensuring that you are putting yourself out there properly so that you can be seen and heard by the range of employers looking for hardworking individuals. If you’re not putting yourself out there properly, you won’t be heard. Be patient and don’t panic that you’ll be left behind. If you are waiting longer than a week for a response, then make sure you are following up and you are working on it all. You want to nail a job and that takes some time to get right.
Being a new kid on the block means starting at the bottom – but you’ll soon climb that ladder!
